The latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard is fast becoming the norm in new laptops and smartphones. But do you know that even your ageing desktop PC can enjoy Wi-Fi 6, which offers faster speeds and is better at handle multiple simultaneous devices? Simply install a Wi-Fi 6 add-on card like the D-Link AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 PCIe Adapter (DWA-X582).
Quick specs
- Uses PCIe x1 slot
- Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 chipset
- Supports WPA3 security protocol
- Supports Bluetooth 5.1
Of course, you'll require a spare PCIe slot in your desktop PC. This can be an x1, x4, x8 or x16 slot, though it is best to use an x1 slot and save the higher-speed PCIe slots for more bandwidth hungry add-on cards. If you're planning to use the card's Bluetooth 5.1 feature, you'll need a spare F_USB connector on the motherboard. The D-Link adapter is a low-profile card, so it should fit in most PC enclosures. But you'll need to switch the default bracket to the included low profile one. I also recommend downloading the Intel driver from the D-Link website (for Windows 10 64-bit and Linux) before installation.
The D-Link adapter comes with two adjustable antennas attached to a base. They have to be connected to the adapter. The base itself comes with magnets that lets it attach securely to the top of my PC chassis. Overall, the installation process took around 10 minutes, from opening up my PC casing to restarting the PC after installing the driver.
My DIY PC uses an Asus motherboard, which has an integrated Wi-Fi 5 adapter. So I'm probably not the target audience for the D-Link adapter as switching from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 is not a big leap in performance. But there is some improvement. Average download speeds went up from around 450Mbps using the Qualcomm-based Wi-Fi 5 adapter to 610Mbps with the D-Link adapter. Given that there are other benefits from the D-Link adapter, such as support for the more secure WPA3 protocol, it is an upgrade to consider.
The D-Link AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 PCIe Adapter is available for S$69 from online platforms such as Shopee and Lazada. It is competitively priced, with similar adapters from the likes of TP-Link going for the same price. If you already bought a new Wi-Fi 6 router, why not give your PC a Wi-Fi boost in the arm with a simple upgrade?
Note: Review set provided by D-Link.
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